Perusing through Dan Kennedy’s arguments in the name of civil discourse why he insists people write their full names — that is, first name and last name, and nothing but that — on blog comments, I applaud.
I realize this will mean fewer comments. My expectation is that this will be a good thing, as the signal-to-noise ratio will improve and the quality will rise. Perhaps some of our frequent pseudonymous commenters will come out from behind their online personae and continue posting. Perhaps some folks who have held back from commenting for fear of being anonymously attacked will now feel safe to weigh in.
Before I institute such here, please lend me your thoughts by adding a comment below.
Thanks!
Update: Danny Brown inspired me to nullify the above question. In a comment responding to me on Gini Dietrich’s blog post about comment moderation, he called me out on requiring would-be comments here to have names and valid email addresses. So, I’ve turned off those settings. You can now comment without names and addresses; doing so, turns you Anonymous. Enjoy the new frontier.
About Ari Herzog
I really don’t see how this would result in fewer commentators. They can use a pseudonym if they want BUT the rule remains that IT MUST BE A NAME.
I must admit that Full names is kinda extreme. A first name is okay by me
It depends on what you are doing, I have seen a blogger using a name, he is building a brand about (blog tyrant), the question is why are dropping a comment, for backlink or for brand building!
How strictly is Dan going to enforce it? Checking the comment stream on that post, I already see one using the company name next to the real one:
http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/02/09/a-new-comments-policy-%E2%80%94-now-with-real-names/comment-page-1/#comment-54611
So is that acceptable? What if the company name was Rampant Erection Cream Makers (or less conservative)?
How about here? You use the CommentLuv plug-in – what if the domain is for a cannabis farm blog?
There’s a fine line between combating spam and trolling, and making it too regimented.
For me, if it’s a valid comment and there’s not a huge sales pitch (and it isn’t offensive), then you can use whatever you want when you comment.
I don’t have a problem writing my name down. I can see some people wanting to maintain their privacy but I would guess that most of the people who won’t put their full name are either spammers or trolls.
I liked leaving my first name just as my name is long but not as long as Udegbunam’s LOL. I have no problem leaving my name as I stand behind every comment I write and am happy to hear constructive criticism about any comment. As for privacy, my name is very unusual it is very easy for anyone to find me – I would be surprised if there is someone else with the same name – know anyone? But then if they go to my blog my name is there too, so not much difference really. I think some people can be very cruel by hiding behind pseudonyms and I do not believe in destructive criticism as it does not add to anything and is only negative – you do not have to agree with each other just give fair comment. I did feel a bit uncertain leaving my name to start with but as I comment more I feel like a kind of belong in a strange way. Reading other comments I recognise other names and start reading their blogs if I like their comments.
I’m with you on this one. The fight against Cyber-Bullying is on and if all blogs were to start accepting anonymous comments, it might be disatrous. Have you ever been around a celebrity blog where mean folks under the whole anonymous guise attack even child celebs? It’d fr**king annoying.
Just like Elayne, I’m all for puttin your name behind your words
Ari, you know me, I use my full name and then my keywords.
Occasionally on certain sites I will use a nickname, or just my first name.
I believe that you need to allow people to use any name they choose, as it ads diversification into the comments.
Forcing people to use one or another may put them off commenting, or make then use a fake name. The name isn’t really that important anyway, so as long as it is not rude, offensive or inappropriate, why not let people choose for themselves what to put?
I find it interesting. I get a lot of people using their name but also their business name & it’s all spamalicious.. meaning worthless comments.
I don’t care about using both names– it’s does me no harm to say who I am. I think that Dan will have some challenges from this– just from people who don’t want to do that.
I completely agree with you there Stevie. I recon it will do more harm than good for/to his site.
What’s wrong with just using nicknames? LOL, this coming from someone who uses only her nickname and her company’s name. Anyway, doing that is pretty much counterproductive to the point of the internet, which is to browse, comment, research and do whatever in complete anonymity. Well, as anonymous as we can get anyways. I love to comment on blogs but I don’t like leaving a “digital footprint” so I for one would never use my real name just for blog commenting.
And here’s me thinking that this whole Comment policy issue was done and over with around here. Ari-are you not sure you’ve made the right decision?
Hmm? Made the right decision about what?
I was under the impression that you were reconsidering this.
I had. See the postscript above. It changed again.
Oh man, I totally missed that…The text box looks so much like some sort of a template design thing that I didn’t even bother to read the text.
I’m genuinely ashamed of myself :\
How should it look so you wouldn’t pass over it?
I suggest losing the the backround and textbox around it. And or highlight the “Update:”.
Other than that, I should just concentrate, I suppose.
Nice, I might adopt that on my blog actually, as a no name or email strategy could encourage more people co contribute, but that makes things like KeywordLuv and Gravatars pointless though…
If someone left the “Name” field blank, the “E-mail” field blank but entered a URL into the “Website” field, what would happen then Ari?
No name + no email gives you an Anonymous name and a randomly-assigned avatar.
Whether the avatar remains is a good question.
KeywordLuv is only pointless if one doesn’t use it.
I guess so…
Just wait and see what happens I guess, although I think that most people will still use the name and email fields.
Scroll up. Those who don’t have custom avatars (connected by email address via gravatar.com or their twitter account) now have blank avatars. Much nicer than the random monster images.
Oooooow!!! I would say, that I would probably have to agree with you there! Nice, I may try this on my blog…
I don’t have any problem with using full names, and agree that the quality should rise on comments. However, what’s to stop people just making a name up and using it? If it’s to combat spammers, I don’t think it will make much difference.
Spammers can be found out easily. They comment so similarly that a name won’t make a difference.
The quality will rise… eventually. But this alienates entire groups of prospective commenter.
Or, alternatively, it will force them into having a stronger and more accountable online presence.
I am using my keywords as my nickname when I comment on blogs when I am only allowed to do so . If a blog owner asks for my full name, then I don’t have any problem doing that as well. I believe this issue depends on how comfortable a person feels in using either his nickname or real name. So, nicknames are fine, just as long as they are not spamming or leaving offensive comments.
- Wes Towers -
I think I do not think that allowing anybody to use either first name, full name or Keyword causes any problem. I think until and unless someone is spamming what he uses in the Name field does not matter, Unless he is using slang or any such degraded things in the name field.
I most of the time us my first name or if allowed Keywords. It all depends on the comment policy of the blog
Why would you force people to write with their first/last names only. Suggesting it using keywordluv yes. Forcing it onto people, no.
Blogging is a two way street, if you want to engage people and get them talking, allow them to draw some benefits from crafting intelligent / well-thought out comments. Noone can force you to let rubbish comment go through so do the pruning in the back end.
And you can still be anonymous using your real name – with a working email address – by simply omitting your website address or twitter username.
Ideally I feel that insisting on the person’s real first and last name is preferable – witness the seamless manner in which Facebook – featuring real-people with real connections – took over the internet. Anonimity can morph into seediness very easily. I do not, though, see the rationale behind moving away from the @keyword methodology – as this does attract a far few extra readers and give your blog a definite advantage in marketing itself online.
It’s curious many people are responding to the initial question that went out via RSS and skipping over the postscript — which places that question into moot status.